Reading School District

Reading School District

The Reading School District (RSD) is a large urban public school district serving the city of Reading in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Located in the heart of the state's southeastern region, Reading is a diverse city with a long industrial and manufacturing history and a population that has undergone significant demographic and economic changes over the past several decades.

The school district is one of Pennsylvania's larger urban districts. It serves students from pre-kindergarten through Grade 12, operates 19 schools, and has approximately 16,600 students. Federal education data for the 2024-25 school year lists 16,664 students and 1,098 full-time-equivalent classroom teachers.

Reading School District has an especially distinctive student population. A very large majority of students identify as Hispanic or Latino, and a substantial percentage are English-language learners. Poverty also has a significant effect on the district's educational environment. These characteristics mean that Reading's schools must address not only traditional academic objectives but also language development, student support, family engagement, economic barriers, and preparation for college and careers.

The district's mission is "Transforming Student Potential Into Reality." Its current strategic direction focuses on improving academic achievement while creating stronger pathways and opportunities for students.

History and community

Reading developed as an important industrial center in Pennsylvania, particularly through manufacturing, textiles, railroads, and related industries. The city grew substantially during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and its public-school system expanded along with the population.

Like many older northeastern cities, Reading experienced significant economic changes as traditional manufacturing declined. The community today has a more diversified economy, with healthcare, education, logistics, manufacturing, retail, and service industries playing important roles.

The school district is therefore responsible for preparing students for an economy that is substantially different from the one that existed when many of the city's older institutions were established.

Reading's location in Berks County also gives students access to colleges, healthcare organizations, employers, technical education, and cultural institutions throughout the broader region.

The district's schools consequently have an opportunity to connect classroom learning with real-world opportunities in the surrounding community.

Size of the district

Reading School District is geographically compact but educationally large.

The district covers approximately 10.14 square miles and serves more than 16,000 students. State data identifies Reading as a city school district with 19 schools serving grades Pre-K through 12.

The district's schools include elementary schools, middle-school programs, Reading High School, and specialized educational programs.

Reading High School is particularly large. Federal data for 2024-25 lists approximately 4,879 students in Grades 9-12 at the school.

The size of the high school creates both opportunities and challenges. A large student population can support an extensive range of courses, sports, clubs, arts programs, and career pathways. However, it also requires sophisticated scheduling, counseling, student-support systems, and administrative organization.

Student demographics

Perhaps the most defining characteristic of Reading School District is the diversity of its student population.

The district's 2024-25 Reading High School profile reports that approximately 87.73% of students are Hispanic or Latino, while 6.24% are Black or African American and 4.65% are White.

This demographic profile makes Reading different from many Pennsylvania suburban school districts.

Spanish is particularly important throughout the community, and schools must ensure that families can communicate effectively with educators and administrators.

The district's large Hispanic population also creates an opportunity to develop bilingual and multicultural educational programs.

Students who grow up speaking more than one language can develop valuable linguistic and cultural skills. The district's challenge is to ensure that students who are learning English receive the academic support necessary to succeed while also recognizing and building on their existing language abilities.

English-language learners

English-language development is a major responsibility for Reading School District.

The Reading High School profile reports that approximately 27% of students are English-language learners.

This is a substantial proportion of the student body.

English-language learners need access to rigorous academic instruction while simultaneously developing English proficiency. The challenge is to avoid treating language development as separate from academic learning.

Students must learn English while continuing to study mathematics, science, history, literature, and other subjects.

Effective multilingual education can therefore be a powerful tool for improving both language proficiency and academic achievement.

The district's Office of English as a Second Language is responsible for supporting this work, with dedicated leadership for ESL programming.

Economic challenges

Economic circumstances are another major factor affecting the district.

The Reading High School profile indicates that approximately 95.28% of students are designated as low income and that the district's schools participate in Community Eligibility Programs providing universal free meals.

This statistic is important because poverty can influence educational outcomes in numerous ways.

Students experiencing economic hardship may face housing instability, food insecurity, transportation problems, limited access to technology, family employment pressures, or other challenges that make consistent academic participation more difficult.

For this reason, an urban school district such as Reading often has to provide a much broader range of support than simply classroom instruction.

Food services, counseling, social services, attendance interventions, family engagement, special education, health services, and community partnerships can all contribute to student success.

Academic achievement

Academic improvement is at the center of Reading School District's long-term mission.

The district's current leadership has emphasized improving student achievement, expanding opportunities, and creating stronger pathways to college, careers, and life.

Reading faces significant academic challenges, particularly because many students enter school with economic and language barriers that can affect academic performance.

The district therefore needs to focus on the fundamentals: literacy, mathematics, attendance, graduation, instructional quality, and effective intervention.

At the same time, academic improvement cannot be achieved through standardized testing alone.

Students need access to experienced teachers, challenging coursework, counseling, technology, extracurricular opportunities, and strong relationships with adults.

Reading High School

Reading High School is the district's largest secondary institution.

For the 2024-25 school year, federal data recorded 4,879 students, including approximately 4,796 students eligible for free lunch.

The school's size makes it an important institution not only for students but for the entire city.

Reading High School offers students opportunities in academic subjects, athletics, extracurricular activities, career preparation, and postsecondary planning.

The school profile reports a graduating class of 912 students for the Class of 2025.

Students must complete a range of English, mathematics, science, social studies, physical education, wellness, and elective requirements in order to graduate.

The large size of the high school also allows the district to offer a wide variety of courses.

For students with different interests, this can be a major advantage. One student may pursue advanced academic coursework while another focuses on career and technical education, athletics, arts, or another specialized pathway.

College and career preparation

Preparing students for life after high school is an increasingly important part of Reading's educational mission.

Not every student will follow the same path.

Some will attend four-year colleges or universities. Others may attend community colleges, technical schools, career and technical programs, apprenticeship programs, military service, or enter the workforce.

The district works with regional career and technical education providers, including Reading-Muhlenberg Career & Technology Center. State data indicates that approximately 876 Reading School District students participate in the partnering career and technical center.

Career and technical education can be particularly valuable for students who want practical experience in fields such as healthcare, construction, technology, automotive services, culinary arts, manufacturing, and other occupations.

Such programs can connect students directly to regional employers and postsecondary training.

Portrait of a Graduate

One of the more recent initiatives under Superintendent Dr. Khalid N. Mumin is the development of a Portrait of a Graduate.

The concept is intended to define the skills and characteristics Reading students should possess when they graduate.

Rather than measuring success only through grades and test scores, a Portrait of a Graduate can emphasize communication, critical thinking, collaboration, problem-solving, resilience, technological competence, civic responsibility, and career readiness.

In March 2026, Superintendent Mumin described this work as part of a strategic refresh designed to build stronger pathways for students to succeed in college, careers, and life.

This represents a broader shift occurring in many school districts.

Employers and colleges increasingly value skills that are not captured by traditional examinations. Students need to be able to communicate clearly, work with others, solve unfamiliar problems, adapt to change, and use technology effectively.

Middle-school education

Middle school represents an important transition period for Reading students.

Students move from the elementary environment toward increasingly specialized academic subjects.

They also begin preparing for high school course selection and graduation requirements.

The district's current leadership has specifically discussed reimagining the middle-school experience as part of its strategic refresh.

This could involve strengthening academic foundations, increasing student engagement, expanding extracurricular opportunities, improving counseling, and making the transition to high school more successful.

Middle school is also an important period for identifying students who are falling behind academically.

Early intervention can prevent relatively small academic difficulties from becoming major problems by the time students reach high school.

Early childhood education

Reading School District serves students beginning at the Pre-K level.

Early-childhood education is important because students' academic trajectories can be influenced by the skills they develop before entering elementary school.

Early literacy, language development, numeracy, social skills, classroom behavior, and communication are all important foundations for later learning.

For a district with a large English-language learner population, early childhood education can also provide opportunities for children to develop English while maintaining connections to their home languages and cultures.

The district's Pre-K programs are therefore an important part of its long-term strategy.

Special education

Special education represents another major component of the district's responsibilities.

Reading High School's profile reports that approximately 25% of students are identified as receiving special education services.

This is a substantial population requiring individualized educational support.

Special education services may include individualized instruction, accommodations, speech and language services, occupational therapy, behavioral support, assistive technology, and other interventions.

The district maintains a dedicated Office of Special Education with specialized leadership.

In his 2026 strategic refresh, Superintendent Mumin specifically identified strengthening special education services as one of the district's areas of focus.

Improving special education can involve ensuring appropriate staffing, strengthening communication with families, improving inclusion, providing professional development, and making sure students have access to challenging academic content.

Student wellness and support services

Academic performance is closely connected to student well-being.

Reading's students may face challenges involving poverty, housing, family responsibilities, mental health, language barriers, and other circumstances.

The district therefore has dedicated social services and student-support functions.

Its leadership structure includes a Director of Social Services and a Director of Student Support Services, in addition to special education and other specialized departments.

This organizational structure reflects the reality that schools increasingly function as community support centers.

Students who are hungry, worried about housing, struggling with mental health, or dealing with family difficulties may have difficulty concentrating on schoolwork.

Providing appropriate support can therefore improve both student well-being and academic performance.

Summer and after-school programs

The district has also emphasized expanding summer and after-school programs.

Superintendent Mumin identified these programs as part of his initial strategic work in 2026.

These programs can provide students with additional academic support and enrichment outside the regular school day.

For students who are behind in reading or mathematics, extended learning time can provide opportunities for targeted intervention.

For other students, summer and after-school activities can provide arts, athletics, technology, career exploration, and other enrichment.

These programs can also support working families by providing structured activities during periods when school is not in session.

Technology and innovation

Technology is becoming increasingly important in Reading schools.

Students need access to computers, digital learning resources, internet connectivity, and modern instructional tools.

Technology can also support English-language learners and students with disabilities by providing translation, accessibility tools, adaptive learning, and other resources.

At the same time, the district must teach students to use technology responsibly.

Artificial intelligence is likely to become an increasingly important educational issue.

Students need to understand how AI works, how to evaluate information, how to avoid misinformation, and how to use emerging tools without sacrificing independent thinking.

For teachers, technology creates opportunities to personalize instruction but also requires professional development.

Family engagement

Family engagement is especially important in Reading because of the district's linguistic and cultural diversity.

Effective communication requires schools to work with families in accessible and culturally responsive ways.

Parents and guardians should be able to understand school expectations, graduation requirements, academic progress, attendance policies, and available services.

The district's leadership emphasizes collaboration with parents, students, educators, community organizations, businesses, public officials, and higher-education institutions.

Strong family engagement can improve attendance, academic participation, and trust between schools and the community.

Community partnerships

Reading School District does not operate in isolation.

The city contains numerous organizations that can support students, including healthcare institutions, colleges, nonprofit organizations, employers, cultural organizations, and government agencies.

Community partnerships can provide internships, mentoring, career exposure, tutoring, mental-health services, college preparation, and other resources.

This is particularly important in a district serving a high-poverty population.

Partnerships can help schools provide services that would otherwise be difficult to fund or operate independently.

Leadership

The district is currently led by Dr. Khalid N. Mumin, who serves as superintendent.

Mumin has a long connection with Reading and a substantial background in public education leadership. The district describes him as an educator and administrator with experience focused on improving opportunities for students in high-poverty environments.

He has also received recognition including Pennsylvania Superintendent of the Year in 2021 and has been a National Superintendent of the Year finalist.

The district's current leadership team includes administrators responsible for school improvement, teaching and learning, operations, finance, legal affairs, curriculum, English as a Second Language, human resources, special education, student services, transportation, technology, athletics, and other functions.

This broad administrative structure reflects the complexity of the district.

Financial and operational challenges

Like other urban school systems, Reading must balance extensive student needs against limited financial resources.

High levels of poverty and special educational needs can increase the cost of providing services.

The district must fund teachers, counselors, special education, transportation, food services, technology, building maintenance, security, extracurricular programs, and administrative functions.

Financial management is therefore a critical component of educational strategy.

The district's relatively compact geographic footprint can help with transportation efficiency, but its large student population still creates significant operational demands.

Enrollment outlook

Reading's enrollment has remained relatively stable compared with some Pennsylvania districts.

The state-oriented Future Ready data reports approximately 16,706 students for the district.

Federal data for 2024-25 reports 16,664 students.

The relatively consistent enrollment means that Reading continues to operate at a substantial scale.

However, enrollment can vary among individual schools and grade levels.

The district must therefore monitor demographic changes carefully when planning staffing, facilities, transportation, and educational programs.

Overall assessment

Reading School District is one of Pennsylvania's important urban school systems.

Its greatest defining characteristics are its size, diversity, high proportion of English-language learners, high level of economic need, and strong connection to the city of Reading.

With approximately 16,600 students and 19 schools, it is large enough to provide extensive academic and extracurricular opportunities while still being geographically concentrated within one city.

The district faces significant challenges.

Academic achievement, literacy, mathematics, attendance, graduation, special education, English-language development, student wellness, and economic inequality all require sustained attention.

At the same time, Reading has significant strengths.

Its diverse student body creates opportunities for multilingual and multicultural education. Its large high school can support a broad range of courses and activities. Its partnerships with career and technical education organizations can create practical pathways into employment. And its location within the Lehigh Valley provides access to colleges, employers, healthcare organizations, and community institutions.

The leadership of Dr. Khalid Mumin is currently emphasizing a renewed focus on student achievement, innovation, special education, summer and after-school programming, middle-school improvement, and a Portrait of a Graduate.

The central question for Reading School District is how effectively it can turn those priorities into measurable improvements for students.

Success will require more than raising test scores. It will require strong teachers, effective bilingual education, early intervention, reliable attendance, family engagement, student support, career preparation, modern technology, and responsible financial management.

Ultimately, Reading School District's mission is particularly important because its schools serve as one of the city's most significant pathways to opportunity. For many students, a strong public education can provide access to college, technical training, skilled employment, and economic mobility.

If Reading continues strengthening its academic programs while addressing the social and economic barriers affecting students, the district can make meaningful progress toward its goal of transforming student potential into reality.

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